My Q2 Monochrome is the camera that’s almost always with me. I love it. It’s on manual focus most of the time. That slows me down just enough to enjoy the process. The lens is great. It renders beautifully. I’ve just finished a shoot for which we used the Q2 next to an H6D and it holds up great. I’ve no need for video, but if Leica could make a Q2 version with a 65-75mm lens…

After trying a lot of the cameras which were touted as being the best for street photography, I decided in 2019 to give the Q2 a try. I fell in love, so much so, that I sold off all of my other gear and moved to Leica, buying the SL2 with two Zooms. The user interface and ergonomics of these two Leica cameras are so intuitive and easy to use, that they are the fastest cameras I was able to setup for a shot. But back to the Q2... I went on a ten day trip to New York last year with both of my cameras. Later while going through and editing the images I shot, I noticed two things. First, I shot two thirds of my photos with the Q2 and that I had a very high rate of keepers at that. My message to anyone who likes shooting street is: If you like 35mm for street like I do, moving to 28mm is a blessing... I have room to crop to the best 35mm frame in post, and 28mm has its own charm too. :D

I have the Q2 monochrom and it's amazing. It has become my go-to B&W camera, the raw files have incredible tonality and can be pushed around ridiculously in post. It's a wonderful camera in every way. The Q2M was my first Leica and it has turned me into a Leica fanboy. I added an SL2-S recently which I use for low light and astro and I'm really happy with both cameras. They are permanent residents of my go-to camera setup for landscapes and cityscapes alongside a GFX 100S.

After many months of contemplating, I pulled the trigger on a Q2 monochrome. I have absolutely zero regrets.

I've used my Q2 for street, and landscape, including long exposure. I couldn't be happier.

I can’t recall exactly, but I think I’ve had 6 or 7 Qs lol… Currently still have 2 of them. The 007 and the Daniel Craig edition. Absolutely love the Qs!

I own both versions of the Q2 and absolutely love them. Western Washington can be a little wet much of the year, so having a camera that is both resistant to moisture and has a great macro feature is definitely another plus for these high quality extremely versatile cameras.

The Q2 is a beautiful camera and I have enjoyed using it over the past 12 months. It feels like a million dollars.👍

As a Q2 owner I couldn't agree more, its just the way they handle makes the whole process rewarding.

Using both M10 and Q2. Hard to beat the M with 50 Lux, but the Q2 got a special place in my heart. And I agree, you buy the Q-lens and get the camera body for free. It’s an incredible lens. Also, happy to see that people are talking about Leica all of a sudden without being sarcastic about the price level.

Using the Q2 as your only camera is a delightful, yet frustrating experience that will make you a way better photographer. That’s what happened to me. For portraits, the 28mm lens will distort your subject when shot at close range as compared to a 35 or a 50. The key is to back up five or ten feet then use the digital crop mode. The distortion will go away, and you will have enough megapixels left over to still get a usable file. When you back up, your depth of field will increase, which will result in less bokeh (if that is what you’re after). You can mitigate that by opening the aperture up to 1.7. The camera sucks big time in low light. I now cap the ISO at 1600 because anything more than that results in too much noise. The good news is you can use Denoise AI to improve this (but it’s not a panacea). This also incentivizes you to look for better light which I have found makes you more creative and results in more interesting photos.

Thank you for the video, very well put. God and my wife know I spent a ton of money buying fixed lens cameras in the pursuit of the Q2, including Ricoh, Fuji and the Sony RX1RII, I finally bit the bullet and bought the Q2 last year and I could not be any happier, love the simplicity the response and EVF, the shallow depth of field at 28 is unreal, the photos are so sharp and the shadows well controlled. That said I think the IQ of the RX1 is superior including the dynamic range, however the dreadful EVF, and battery life on the Sony coupled with awful manual focusing experience make me reach for the Q2 almost always. The Q2 is such a pleasure to use and create with, it’s a keeper for sure

I bought x100v due to the price of q2, used it for a year. But eventually ended up buying Q2 selling x100v and it’s absolutely worth it, Q2 is much more elevated experience along with brilliant IQ.

Ted - your stuff is getting so strong. I appreciate your presentation on this one.

The Q2 Monochrom is a stunning camera and fit for taking amazing photographs for years to come

I loved my original Q and I love my Q2 Monochrom. These are so much fun to use and I’ve always loved the files coming out of them. I throw a red filter on when I want high contrast black and white or an orange when I want it to be a little more manageable contrast

The Leica Q2 looks neat, but for the rest of us poors, I'm so grateful that there's the Fuji X100 series. My X100V has become my go-to for the same reason people would gravitate to this. Still, would be neat to try at a demo or rent one day...

The Q2 Monochrom is a dream camera of mine. Above and beyond the design and image quality, the forced constraint would be really freeing.

Rather than a Leica Q3, if they released a Leica Q 35mm edition, now that would everything I ever wished for! A cropped 28mm is just not the same.

Since I purchased my Q2 Monochrom, I have not shot with my D850. I thought I was going to hate not being able to change out lenses; however, it has not made a difference. I think I had fallen in love with my Nikkor 35mmAF on my D850 and using it so much that switching to the Q2 Monochrom with the 28mm and 35mm options was fairly natural. Even more, I carry the Q2M with me all.the.time. The latter is so important because I have been shooting more and surprising myself with what I see when I’m not looking.😊

Love your channel and videos. I am a hobbyist and selling my Sony A7IV and all my lenses and planning on getting a q2. Just tired of the whole feature heavy system and feeling uninspired. I hope I can slow down and experience more inspiration. P.S. you said 2020 in your introduction, a mistake I make all the time 😄

I aspire to own a Q2. It took almost everything I liked in the original Q and improved it just enough to replace the Q on my list of dream cameras. I can't justify it in any way except, "I want it." And that's ok.

Two years ago I researched carefully before buying my Q2 to get a camera which fits my hands (as a woman photographer) as well avoiding the issue of cumbersome lens decisions. It fulfilled my needs so perfectly I purchased the Q2M to take a advantage of the greater tonal range without the conversion concerns of converting color images. It’s been worth the money but makes expanding to additional Leica cameras much too attractive. But it’s all OK!

I love my original q I use it all the time I own a lot of other cameras and it is my favorite I would want to upgrade at some point but the original q has so much going for it and the additional mp are nice but not a must for how I use it

I was told by a Leica staff member in Wetzlar yesterday that a new Q will be not be released until next year.

The only feature I'm missing on my Q2 is a Live View zoom in the viewfinder that matches the selected focal length. So it would look like you had a 75mm mounted on the lens for instance. Way easier see details on the subject. This could be used optionally if you like the current M-viewfinder-like experience of seeing around the subject.

If the following Q were a 35/40mm with faster autofocus. I would buy it in a heartbeat!

I love my Q2M and can wait until 2023 when they come up with the Q3 and the M11 sensor :D

Q2 is the best camera that I'd used before. high-resolution & rich detail, typical Leica image style, accuracy focus, beautiful 28mm with full of storytelling perspective...... i cant find any better one than Q2.

Bought my Q. Love it! It does everything that I need, and Is still reliable. So I have kept it. It goes with me everywhere. Q3? Well, I don’t need one, but I would like one. And probably won’t get one 😊

Oh hell yeah, I remember you from my introduction to photography course you did. Really good to see you still active on KZfaq!

Hello, will grab my Leica Q2 Reporter edition this week in on of the Leica stores here in Paris. I was focused on getting the Monochrom version. They lend me for a few days (free of charge) the Monochrom version, but seems that even though I love B&W photography, I think the Q2 color version will suit more my needs. Leica's advise: if you do more than 80% of your shots in B&W, then the Monochrom version is the way to go, else prefer the regular version...

I just got a Q2M used ,like brand new from B&H for a steal ,lol,not a mark ,nearly used. I have been enjoying it and my instagram has been growing since posting my new B&W photos.I bought it to print posters and print books

I can honestly say that the Q2 produces some of the finest image quality I have ever seen in a digital camera, full stop. Q3 won't arrive until sometime next year.

Right now (and really since I first got my hands on one) my dream camera is the Q2 Mono...such an amazingly functional piece of art. Someday looking to get a personal one.

I agree with everything you said in this video. I bought the Q2 Monochrom six months ago and I have to say, it is my favorite camera. Changing color filters reminds me of the film days. The IQ of the camera is outstanding and I believe it is worth the price tag. I sold my Fuji X100V after buying the Q2. I am contemplating just traveling with the Q2.

I just bought the D-lux 7 had it for two days... and I'm almost ready to sell all my Nikon gear for the Q2. I mean I just stumbled upon something very amazing and it's just a point and shoot. I'm a color blind person and I used to love the way Nikon rendered colors over the other auto-focus obsessed companies. but now that I look at the Lieaca colors I find them soothing to my eyes... I must be imagining this.

In an interview the Leica head of product confirmed they are releasing a Q3, and it will not be in 2022. 2023 earliest

I hope you don't mind.. I'm a huge fan of your channel for years. This video is good for me to say that right now I'm selling a Q2 with two months of use! If someone wants it, write me!

Thank you for this informative upload. As a request, could you please consider keeping yourself in the same constant frame in future videos, rather than zooming in and out for each sentence 🙏🏻

the 28mm is crazy, definitely one of the best modern lenses they produce, with the ability to crop and shoot macro, it's an obvious yes for me at least.

Excellent content, congratulations. Could you do more content with the Leica Q2 please, probably with the CL too. You have tried some telephoto converter with the Leica Q2, thank you, a big hug

I have both Q2 and M10R w/50f1.4. Typically use Q2 for fast street shot, and M10R for more precise composition. This combo work very well for me.

I absolutely adore this camera. I find that shooting at 35mm is the sweet spot for me. Still a whopping 30 megapixels, has frame lines to help composition and work with what's coming into your frame. It is weather sealed, has IBIS, a leaf shutter, macro capability, 10 bit video, and can easily switch to zone focus,. My only gripe is that there is quite a bit of noise at higher ISOs (above 3200). A lot of people say this camera is overpriced, but I actually think it's a great value. There is just no other camera with this combination of features.

I would definitely buy a q2 once the q3 gets released

Q2 specs don’t call for the price tag. We all know it. Recently I’ve seen multiple people talk about q2 and it always feels like they’re trying to defend their purchase, but can easily see the shortcomings of this camera. The truth is Leica doesn’t have the budget to compete with Sony or Canon, or even Fuji. All they can do is be a company with great history, that sells overprices cameras to people who care more about the esthetic of photography, than having the right tool. Having said all that, I really wish I had one 😂

Totally agree. I love mine.

I love the idea of having a small camera always in my pocket. I got personally fed up with digital photography, I realised that I was just shooting without even thinking. Right now I’m using a Nikon 28ti as daily driver and this brought back the joy of shooting.

I would buy a Q2 or Q3 if it was made with a 50mm lens standard! I'm over wide lenses and planning to pick up a M10P with a 50mm lens. Miss my old M6 camera's

just ordered my Q2 today… 50 plus years Nikon using photojournalist my first digital camera… should be fun for my luddite dinosaur personality…LOL… can’t wait !

I have had the Q2 for a month now, and haven't used it for travel yet. Going on an extended trip for a month, and can't wait. The highlight priority exposure mode is the one I will use most; for photos and videos. All of my around the neighborhood testing shows that I can recover shadows very easily in both photo/videos and resulting pictures are magnificent.

Heck, it's still worth it in 2024! I own a Q2 Monochrom, but with the recent price reduction on the Q2 - and the features/upgrades of the Q3 that I didn't find critical - I just purchased a brand new Q2.

I picked up my Q2 a couple months ago and have loved it. It has made photography fun again.

Well, the deal is sealed! I’ve been researching Q2 to determine whether to add to my equipment bag for several months. I appreciate your assessment. You’ve handed me the matches to light the candles! Here we go!!!

Thank you for the video.. Been looking at a Q2 for a while now, talk to many who owned them. I only shoot photo, no video and a lot of street so it would make sense to me.

I prefer the Fuji XT4 and using acros, you can see in black-and-white all the time and if you think something looks better in colour you have that option in editing your raw file. 🖖

I love my Q2. The major good thing is the weather sealing, which also means dust sealing.

Why the hell is everyone buying and talking about Q2 recently.. (Lol myself included)

I’ve lusted after a Q2 for a while now, to the point of even trying to trade my mint M3 and Summilux for one. Hopefully if a Q3 comes out the Q2’s will come down somewhat in price

Was in the process of selling my Leica T and lenses to buy a Q2 when your video came out… phew, good thing the ball was already rolling on that. V tempted by the monochrom but in the end went with standard as I want the photos of my kids in colour.

Yes it is. It's just a matter if it fits your budget and you can justify having one. Latest firmware was a nice surprise having the highlight priority metering.

Owned the Q1 and liked it a lot more than I would have imagined. I use my MP240 more. I enjoy the process of making images with the M. The Q is more versatile. I still reach for my MP240 as my every day carry.

I don't think the Q series is made for video, but hey since they put the SL2 sensor in there, they might as well give the option for someone that wants to record the occasionnal clip. the thing I would like to see though, is a little mic jack implementation on the Q3. I don't care about HDMI, headphone, Log profiles etc, as long as there is a mic jack somewhere. A video can be good if its recorded internally, without Log, but a video with bad audio will always be a bad video no matter what. And a camera like the Q2, being a camera you bring along for a trip, travel etc, having the possibility to put a small microphone on top of it would be so good and would open so many possibilities for this camera. Heck, I wouldn't even cared if Leica released an overpriced Leica branded accessory with a decent mic in it to stay streamlined with the camera's body design. Also, it would be so nice if Leica released an updated version of the X1. That was a fun camera, but it is quite outdated by now

I have a Panasonic GX9 with the Leica 15/f1,7 and not missing anything. And i'm not always worried about someone stealing my camera ;)

Owning q2mono and absoluly happy.. using it daily is so much pleasure... I can not compate to x100 but i dont even want to :) i simply enjoy and use. While talking about tools.. i feel with q2 as with pro makita tools :)))

Leica Q3 with vario-elmarit or tri-elmar would be dope! 🔥

I think so. I bought one gently used, and can't get enough. My only complaint, it has switched to video when I didn't want it to. We should be able to completely disable the touchscreen (swiping intentionally or accidentally switches it, and it requires more persistence to switch it back, Not good.

Thinking about switching my Leica Q to the Q2, mainly because Q2 has better video capability and has the same battery as my Leica SL2

Since I still shoot with a much older M240 that is most definitly worth it to me in 2022 then the Q and Q2 are also... Nice video..

I have the original Q and it’s still worth buying in 2022. I love it.

I have the Q2 , and also Laica CL with 35 1.4 . Great combo , Great photos. Sometimes I used them together for events, party and I some “light” wedding. In only 1,5 kilo 2 amazing cameras .

Excellent review thank you. And now I know why they make a monochrome version! I have an A7iii and a good range of prime lenses but oh how I lust after a Q2.

I got the q2 monochrome reporter a month or so ago and I love it

Yes. It is. Traded in my MP240 body and a 35/2.0 Bokeh King for the Q2. It’s fun to use, makes me think about what I want to capture differently

Hi, several times I listened to your wording about Q2Monochrom! I tested all digital cameras to find the closest one to produce B&W nostalgic photos to remember my old school in university for 35 years ago. (P.S. I hate to take photo and make an image by digital software in post production!). Finally I found Fujifilm with having film simulation facility and then found out the phenomenal sensor on XPro1 which is so close to film photography. But, still when I look at photos by Q2M. I can feel something inside that I cannot describe and it’s a kind of spiritual enjoyment; I feel Art! Am I exaggerating? Am I wrong for my visual feeling? Shall I ignor camera brand and just take photos and make what I want in post?

Leica is a dream camera

I have wanted to get my hands on a q2 since 2019. never had the cash. just recently was able to pick up an sony a7rii used off ebay to be my main camera. but have been looking for a fix lens viewfinder like camera. was thinking of getting the fuji x100 series but I dream about the q2! its remarkably beautiful with amazing shots.

Can we have a couple of videos discussing photography award shows and merits of the winning photos? I want to look at good photos, and then have some of them explained... like the "photo assignment - your photos" videos.

Q3 with a 40mm lens would be awesome

I can not share these views. After 3 years of owning the camera and hardly using it I sold it. Image quality is outstanding. The design is great. The menu is well thought out and I love the EVF. But that’s where it stops for me. Ok 28mm is not my preferred focal length. I know you can crop but a 50mm crop is not the same like shooting with a 50mm prime. So the argument you have 4 lenses in 1 body is not really valid to me. Still the two main reasons why I sold the camera are size and AF. For a fixed lens camera the Q2 is too big. It does not fit in any pocket, in contrast to a Fuji X100V. If I want to take out a camera with the size of the Q2, I prefer to take the M. If I need something smaller which does not need a camera bag it is the X100V. AF is too slow for a camera in that price range. Face detection only works when you are really close and I had too much out of focus pictures in macro mode. But in the end the main reason for me to sell the camera was the size. Very often I turned around just after I left home with the Q2 and grabbed my M with either a 35 attached or a 50mm and the21mm in my pocket. On another note, the Q2 is now 3 years old and therefore approaching the end of the Leica product cycle, and now many of the major KZfaqrs get hyped up about this camera. It feels strange to me or shall I say clever marketing from Leica?

Still rocking the rx1rii here. It's a pain to use, but the files are still gorgeous

I keep thinking someone ought to release a fairly compact fixed lens FF camera with a 50mm lens, at least f/1.8 or faster. If it’s Leica, I’ll never be able to afford it, but someone ought to make one. With a lens like that, it’ll be the “portrait compact.” While the FF vs Crop Sensor debate is often largely irrelevant, this is certainly a camera where the shallower depth of field at standard working distances would be important. Meanwhile, I really think it ought to be a 50. Insert discourse about the 50 being the soul and history of photography, but also there are a lot of good compact cameras on the wider end. That combination of a longer absolute focal length and a fast aperture would just open up a different aesthetic in the compact fixed lens camera segment. Toss in a build-in fill flash and ND filter to go with the leaf shutter? It’d be fantastic.

I do not have one - yet - but i know eventually i will. I think you mentioned in the video that the "Sony RX1R would be its equivalent, but it has an APS-C sensor"... I am sure it was a slip of the tongue, i believe you reviewed the RX1 and know it is in fact a full frame. The key difference between the two is of course the focal length, 35 vs 28mm. I fully agree about the advantages - for some - of the monochrome version, i LOVE my M monochrome, and even had my RX1 converted to monochrome too. I may have to part with one of my 6 Leicas and get a Q or Q2, preferably in monochrome, 28 is more "my" lens than 35!

Great vid! Clear, extensive, sharp. Thx

I have several Sony cameras from a Nex7 to an A7R2 but the Q2 is the one I always have with me and use most. Using any of the other crop modes I know where and why I cropped when I took the shot and reminded during editing so that would be my 6th reason to your other five. Thanks for the video.

... Dammit Ted. Now I want one.

Paul Reid's Q2M videos are things of beauty. Pure cinema

I have both, and both are my most enjoyable shooters. I like the CL and the lens array for travel, but I always take a Q2 as the Big Sister to the Little CL Sister. For serious architecture or urban, I do a lot at night, too.

With the old film cameras, you could spend a fortune on a good camera body, knowing that it would last for years without really getting outdated, because most of the technology was in the film itself, which you changed all the time. Nowadays if you spend a fortune on a camera, no matter how good it is, it'll be out of date in a few years. What they need to do is build the perfect body and then have a changeable sensor, then it would match the film cameras. I'm not worried about the 1000 focus points and other crap, just give me a good body with the basic adjustments, the same ones they've had since the Leica 3, which is still a great camera today, because it can take at the latest films. Cheers from New Zealand.

i really want a q2 but the price makes me look at x100v

The Q2 is the gateway drug into the Leica ecosystem.

Even the original Q is still a solid choice. This camera line endures despite all the push for features by other brands.

Thanks Ted! I've been keeping an eye on the Q2 for a while but can't get to pulling the trigger. The very fact that a Q3 and then Q4 are undoubtedly going to happen makes me struggle with the idea of buying such a high quality lens on the Q2 that is then inseparable from a body upgrade (bodies for me are where the real progress is made and under a different lifecycle). So, if I decide to pull the trigger then the key would be timing (or looking at used market). If the real upgrades on the Q3 are in the video area then it's likely I'd opt at that stage for a Q2 (as video isn't for me). Which only leaves the decision of mono or colour! I love Alan Schaller's mono work which makes the Q2 mono tempting - especially as it's then more of a "keeper camera" that I could live with not upgrading on the same lifecycle. Downside then is I'd still need an everyday camera for the inevitable colour work. The X100V would be the one, but it's not quite weather-sealed. Of course, you are right in terms of missing work in the meantime pending a decision ;-) Oh, and you didn't mention what I read from almost every other similar review, in that buying the Q2 inevitably results in then buying one of their M series + lenses :-O Thanks for the channel

I'm still using the original Q and it still works great. But I would love to test the Q2 monochrome and see if it is something for me. Given that a large proportion of my pictures are converted to black and white anyway.

I’m on Fuji now, but a Q3 monochrome might be in my future. My last Leica was an M6, I mostly shot B&W with it and made some of my best images ever. I loved my M6…

Merci monsieur for the video. I'm addicted to my Q2M 😊

I just got my Q in a month ago, she's my first Leica and love it, originally thought of the q2 but for the price I found q I couldn't say no

What I still don’t get is how cropping is equivalent as having other lenses. By this logic if I use Canon with a 16-35 f2.8 I could always crop in so no need to get a 70-200? And in that sense, wouldn’t an image shot with the 28mm cropped in still get its properties in terms of shaping and rendering as a 28 mm in the center, which is very different from a 35mm, 50mm and so on?

Great video as always Ted!

I REALLY wish Canon would put in a crop trigger on the 33mp APS-C cameras that used the same framing lines. I would hands down run a 35mm equivalent prime with a 40 to 50mm crop guide or 50mm equivalent prime with a 75-85mm crop guide all the time if it would still get me at least the ~16mp image. I've actually used an M6 Mark II quite a bit in medium mode that puts out a ~16mp image that has crazy good dynamic range in the resolution I prefer the most for my day-to-day images. I have used an X100V with the 50mm crop mode and I like the OVF having area outside the frame, but the way Leica has done it in the Q2 by emulating rangefinder guides is the best possible way to do a crop mode IMO. You get the benefit of a rangefinder in that you get to see outside of the frame while composing a shot, it's a no brainer instead of just zooming into the crop like every other crop mode/digital telephoto does. The even more massive X-H2 resolution would be great to implement this type of framing option for crop mode even if it's emulating a rangefinder feature on a slr style body (dumb to mention, but I know there are tons of people that would see the feature axed or changed just because of this reasoning).